Niceville tops Crestview on 'unlucky' night

NICEVILLE — Wes Nelson said it was hard to remember the last time he could wear shorts to a soccer game this late in the year.

For a winter sport, Thursday’s soccer game between Nelson’s Niceville team and Crestview at the Twin Oaks Athletic Complex in Niceville was unseasonably warm. The Eagles responded by playing uncharacteristic of the team it has been in recent weeks, topping the Bulldogs 1-0 in a sloppy affair.

Of the Eagles 21 shots, only one found the back of the net. Several others missed by slim margins.

Niceville (5-1 overall, 5-0 District 1-4A) was coming off a 6-0 victory Tuesday at Tate that saw the Eagles pour on four goals in the second half. They had won two straight by an 8-0 margin after falling to Fort Walton Beach 4-2 on Nov. 20.

“I thought we were unlucky,” Nelson said. “Hitting the post twice, hitting the crossbar, missing open chances, we just didn’t execute and attack in third. I think that was the difference between us winning 1-0 and us potentially putting this game away.”

In the end, sophomore Jacob Simmons’ goal in the 27th minute was the difference. A Crestview defender whiffed on picking up a pass to send the Bulldog defense scrambling back into its defensive set, but Simmons was already behind them, banging the shot in just beyond the left post.

“I saw the guy,” Simmons said. “I thought he was gonna fumble it, and I got in front of him, played it to the left goal.”

The victory marked Niceville’s sixth straight against Crestview, dating to the 2014-15 season, and snapped the Bulldogs’ two match win streak.

On the Crestview (2-3, 2-2) sideline, Bulldog coach Scottie Milton said though he didn’t enjoy the outcome, he appreciated his team’s effort.

Crestview goalie Jaun Torres had several nice saves despite the Eagle offense spending much of Thursday night in Bulldog territory.

“After a loss, I always think we can do a little better,” Milton said. “Overall, it’s a lot to build on … We in a big district and we play again Saturday. It’s like I told (the team) after the game: If we build on this maybe we get on a roll.”

The Bulldogs play Escambia on the road at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Niceville gets a few more days off to work off its bad luck before traveling to Navarre to take on the Raiders at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

“I think we’re gonna get better and improve,” Nelson said. “By the end of the year, we’ll be putting those chances away.”